A CHARACTERISTIC SEQUENCE OF TRISOMIES STARTING WITH TRISOMY-7 IN BENIGN THYROID-TUMORS

The cytogenetic results from a series of 113 thyroid hyperplasias and adenomas are reported; 15 showed clonal karyotypic alterations. In add ition to a group showing translocations involving 19q13, another subse t of lesions characterized by polysomies can be found. Based on our ow n cases belonging to this subset and a review of the cases reported in the literature, we conclude that the characteristic feature of this g roup is a sequence that always starts with trisomy 7, but that sometim es even leads to chromosome numbers in the hypertriploid range. This s ubset of thyroid tumors may be an example of a more common genetic pat hway in human solid tumors.